Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 'shot down' in Ukraine - as it happened

298 people on board plane that crashed in eastern Ukraine• Bodies and wreckage found near town of Grabovo• US officials say surface-to-air missile caused crash• Ukrainian, Russian and rebel leaders deny involvement

The crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in east Ukraine near Grabovo. Photograph: ITAR-TASS/Barcroft Media

2.13pm BST

A global airline industry group said MH17 appeared to be flying through open airspace, not previously under warning, when it crashed, Reuters reports.

"Based on the information currently available, it is believed that the airspace that the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions," the Geneva-based International Air Transport Association said in a statement

The first response of the Russian ambassador when summoned by the Australian foreign minister was toblame Ukraine for the plane disaster, which is "deeply, deeply unsatisfactory", said the Australian prime minister.

Saying it had nothing to do with them "doesn't stand up to serious scrutiny", said Tony Abbott.

Abbott also responded to a question he's been asked several times today but has so far treated cautiously – whether Vladimir Putin's invitation to the G20 in Brisbane in November would be revoked. He said he didn't want to pre-empt events, but "it's absolutely imperative if Russia is to maintain any international standing at all, that there be complete Russian co-operation with this", he said.

"No excuses, no blame-shifting, no protecting of people who may be backed by Russia but may be involved in this terrible event."

He said Australia would be reluctant to act unilaterally on something like this, but wanted to act with "respect and restraint".

Black box found: report

It was earlier believed the recorder had been taken by pro-Russian separatists in the area.

7.39am BST

Malaysia Airlines has released a statement saying the MH17 plane had a clean maintenance record.

The aircraft’s last maintenance check was on 11 July 2014. The next check was due on 27 August 2014. The maintenance was conducted at Malaysia Airlines’ hangar at KLIA. The aircraft had a clean bill of health.

The aircraft was manufactured in July 1997, and so had 17 years in service. The aircraft had recorded 75,322 hours with a total of 11,434 cycles.

All communication systems on the aircraft were functioning normally. The B777-200 uses the Rolls-Royce Trent-800 engine and has a 282-seat capacity.

Updated at 7.54am BST

7.23am BST

The Guardian's Martin Farrer provides some analysis on how the Ukraine crisis has worsened over the last week in the lead up to the shooting down of the plane.

Fighting between forces of the pro-western Kiev government and separatists who want union with Moscow has intensified in the past week, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for cross-border attacks.

I earlier reported some comments from the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. She had some pretty forthright things to say on what the EU should do in response to Russian aggression, and the likelihood that if a surface-to-air missile was used it "had to have come from Russia."

Mapping flight routes in the area of the missile strike over the last 24 hours shows there were several flights in the vicinity before and after, including Aeroflot, Rossiya Airlines, and China Airlines [China Airlines has asked us to point out that because of safety considerations they have avoided Ukrainian airspace since April 2014]. MH17 crash site is the red circle, however the MH17 flight route was not available. Flight route data from flightaware.com

Mapping flight routes in the area of the missile strike over the last 24 hours shows there were several flights in the vicinity before and after. Flight route data from flightaware.com Photograph: /Nick Evershed/Guardian Australia

Updated at 3.00pm BST

7.10am BST

Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop has told reporters the Australian death toll is now believed to be 28.

7.00am BST

Tania Branigan in Beijing has filed this explanation of the jurisdiction for an investigation into the incident.

Sidney Dekker, an expert on aviation safety at Griffith University, said: "According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation - a UN body - authority over the crash site and all in it lies squarely with the country in which it happens. It is not where the plane has registered, or from where [it flew], or where the airline is based."

For another party to remove material such as flight data or cockpit voice recorders - or even fragments of a missile - would contravene international agreements, he said.

He said it would be up to Ukraine to appoint an Investigator In Charge, who would then be expected to pull in other parties as appropriate.

In reality, almost all investigations are international, with the country where a crash occurred needing to liaise with officials and experts from the carrier's home country and wherever aircraft instruments had been made, for example.

But in some cases - such as that of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in March - other countries may play a particularly important part, thanks to their resources, their technical knowledge or the political dimension of the incident.

"It's an interesting question whether Russia would have a formal role at all. I don't think it had any nationals on board and I don't think there was any Russian equipment," Dekker added.

"But it may well have [involved] a Russian surface to air missile. If I was the IIC and found a Russian surface to air missile [fragment] I would need to get Russia involved to explain to me its range, and so on."

6.56am BST

The New York Times has mapped some European flights over the last week, revealing that while some airlines actively avoided the Ukraine, others, including Malaysia Airlines, have not. See the full post here.

The New York Times has mapped the flight paths of planes in the last week, showing some airlines avoiding the Ukraine, while others, including Malaysia Airlines have not.

6.47am BST

Hong Kong citizen among passengers

Hong Kong's immigration department has confirmed at least one Hong Kong man is among the dead.

"After preliminary verification of the passenger lists the immigration department found that one Hong Kong resident and his or her relative who held an overseas passport took the flight involved in the accident. We have immediately contacted their relatives ... and will offer any possible assistance," a department statement told the South China Morning Post.

Updated at 6.52am BST

6.35am BST

Australian government buildings across the world will fly flags at half mast on Saturday, in mourning of the country's 27 victims. A national day of mourning and an official commemorative event will be held once "the families of those who have lost their lives have had time to comprehend this horrific event", said prime minister Tony Abbott.

The field near the tiny rural hamlet where MH17 plunged to the ground was a scene of smouldering charred earth and twisted metal as shocked locals milled about, trying to comprehend what had happened. A piece of the plane's fuselage with two window frames intact and a section of one of the two engines were about the most obvious evidence that this had been a passenger plane carrying hundreds of people when it took off from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport early Thursday afternoon.

6.21am BST

News of the crash has been greeted with not just horror but disbelief in Malaysia, where distress at the loss was amplified by the sheer incredulity of facing a second air disaster in five months, writes the Guardian's China correspondent Tania Branigan.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March. It has yet to be found despite a huge international search, which is still going on.

The crash of flight MH17 on Thursday had immediate and chilling echoes.

This audio, released by the Security Service of Ukraine, is being widely shown across the world's media. This particular transcript was obtained independently by the Guardian. Its authenticity has not been confirmed or dismissed.

Malaysian Airlines is still contacting the next of kin of the deceased passengers but said in statement they will release the passenger manifest when they have finished.

World governments have responded with shock, sadness and anger at the incident. Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said if the plane was indeed shot down by a surface-to-air missile as believed by US intelligence agencies, then “the equipment had to have come from Russia”. She called for the EU to step up their sanctions against Russia and not “stand idly by”.

The United Nations security council has scheduled a meeting for Friday morning.

Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said it appeared the plane was shot down by Russian-backed rebels and joined world leaders in demanding a multinational impartial investigation. He said Australia would vote for a UN security council resolution enabling an inquiry.

Pim's last post and photo is from Schiphol airport. His friends and acquaintances will continue to mourn him online, as we are so used to in our generation. I don't think Pim and I were even on Facebook when we met. My friendship with him symbolises an era when so many of us young Europeans were looking for each other, to work together, to share our languages, in the mid-00s. At 32, he was one year older than me.

I've spoken briefly to Pim's brother, Paul, on Facebook. He is happy for our support, and for everyone to know how wonderful Pim was, though there are plenty of others who can attest to that far better than I.

Malaysia Airlines MH17 passenger Pim de Kuijer. Photograph: Facebook

Updated at 5.18am BST

4.49am BST

It's too early to tell if the plane was brought down by a terrorist attack or a "military event gone wrong", a leading terrorism expert has told Guardian Australia's Gay Alcorn.

“If it’s a terrorist attack it’s totally unclear who the targets are. This isn’t making sense as a terror attack. There’s no way the conflict in the Ukraine is related to Malaysia. Unfortunately, like it or not, terrorist attacks make sense," said the director of the Global Terrorism Research Centre at Monash University, professor Gary Bouma.

The flight path of flight MH17 before it was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border. Photograph: Guardian Australia

Updated at 4.49am BST

4.38am BST

From my colleague Oliver Milman in Melbourne:

The World Health Organisation confirmed that its employee Glenn Thomas is among the dead.

British-born Thomas, who was based in Geneva and handled media relations for WHO, was heading to Melbourne for the Aids 2014 conference. Next of kin have been informed.

A WHO spokesman told Guardian Australia: "We are waiting for confirmation on whether there were any others from the World Health Organisation on the flight as we were sending a huge delegation to the conference. As yet, Glenn is the only one we're aware of."

Updated at 4.50am BST

4.29am BST

Hillary Clinton: EU can not stand idly by, must toughen sanctions

If the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, as has been quite confidently suggested by US analysts, then "the equipment had to have come from Russia", the former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said in one of the strongest US statements about the crash yet.

She also called on the EU to increase sanctions against Russia, and join with the US in further supporting Ukraine.

From my perspective benefit of not being in the government, if there is evidence linking Russia to this, that should inspire the Europeans to do much more on three counts. One, toughen their own sanctions. Make it very clear there has to be a price to pay. Number two, immediately accelerate efforts and announce they are doing so to find alternatives to Gazprom. You know, Russia has not diversified its economy. It is still largely dependent upon natural resources, principally gas and oil. And thirdly, do more in concert with us to support the Ukrainians. There has to be more help on their borders in order to prevent this porous border allowing Russians to go back and forth, insurgents to do the same. Do more to help their military obtain better equipment, better training. The Ukrainian military under Poroshenko has been much more focused and more successful, but nobody kids themselves.

If Russia really keeps weighing in on behalf of the insurgents, there's a lot more that needs to be done. And to put Putin on notice that he has gone too far and we are not going to stand idly by. So Europeans have to be the ones to take the lead on this. It was a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over European territory. There should be outrage in European capitals."

Updated at 4.34am BST

4.02am BST

White House calls for Ukraine ceasefire for investigation

The White House has called for an immediate ceasefire supported by Russia, Ukraine and separatist forces, to allow an international investigation.

It is critical that there be a full, credible and unimpeded international investigation as quickly as possible. We urge all concerned – Russia, the pro-Russian separatists, and Ukraine – to support an immediate ceasefire in order to ensure safe and unfettered access to the crash site for international investigators and in order to facilitate the recovery of remains.

The statement – which expands on earlier sentiments expressed by the secretary of state, John Kerry – also said the role of international organisations such as the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will be "particularly relevant", and US government officials will liaise with them and relevant countries.

In the meantime, it is vital that no evidence be tampered with in any way and that all potential evidence and remains at the crash site are undisturbed. The United States remains prepared to contribute immediate assistance to any international investigation, including through resources provided by the NTSB and the FBI.

While we do not yet have all the facts, we do know that this incident occurred in the context of a crisis in Ukraine that is fuelled by Russian support for the separatists, including through arms, materiel and training. This incident only highlights the urgency with which we continue to urge Russia to immediately take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine and to support a sustainable ceasefire and path toward peace that the Ukrainian government has consistently put forward.

Updated at 4.16am BST

3.51am BST

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has released a statement condemning Russian aggression in the Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that one Canadian was killed in the plane crash.

Earlier today, I was shocked and saddened to learn that a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet en route from the Netherlands to Malaysia was shot down in eastern Ukraine, killing all on board. We understand from reports that a Canadian citizen is among the dead. On behalf of the government of Canada, Laureen and I offer our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims of this outrageous act.

While we do not yet know who is responsible for this attack, we continue to condemn Russia’s military aggression and illegal occupation of Ukraine, which is at the root of the ongoing conflict in the region.

Canada stands ready to provide whatever support it can to assist authorities in determining the cause of the crash.”

Delegates from the Aids conference are speaking in Canberra, Australia, at a prearranged event at the National Press Club.

Professor Françoise Barré-Sinoussi opened her address with a tearful statement on the reports that a number of delegates were on board the plane.

She said if it is confirmed that her colleagues were onboard, she is devastated.

"Right now our thoughts are with their family. It will be a great loss for the HIV/Aids community.

"I had the privilege to work close with them ... If it is confirmed it will be a terrible loss for all of us. I have no word really to try to express my sadness, I feel totally devastated if it is confirmed."

Barré-Sinoussi received the 2008 Nobel prize in medicine for her role in discovering HIV, and is the president of the International Aids Society and international co-chair of Aids 2014.

Updated at 3.47am BST

3.24am BST

James Brown, a military fellow at Australian thinktank the Lowy Institute, writes that the US analysts who pinpointed part of the missile launch should also be able to find the launcher.

This means it will be up to the US to make the case as to who fired the missile, potentially putting Washington in a position of greater direct confrontation with Russia (beyond recently announced sanctions).

Owen Ryan, the director of the Aids conference set to begin in Melbourne, has just spoken to the media and said they can’t confirm reports of the deaths of their colleagues at this stage, but if it is true the world has lost “giants”.

Ryan would not say whether the conference is still going ahead, but told media they would deliver further news as they received it.

While the names of four or five people connected to the conference have been shared on social media as victims of the crash, there are other unconfirmed reports that up to 100 of the passengers were on their way to Melbourne.

Updated at 3.12am BST

2.59am BST

The US secretary of state John Kerry has released a statement saying he is "horrified" by the crash and has called for a "credible" investigation.

There are no words adequate to express our condolences to the families of the nearly 300 victims. We offer our sympathies and support to the governments of Malaysia and the Netherlands at this difficult time, as well as to all those whose citizens may have been on board. We are reviewing whether any American citizens were aboard the flight. The United States Government remains prepared to assist with a credible, international investigation any way we can, and we will continue to be in touch with all relevant partners as we seek the facts of what happened today.

Updated at 3.19am BST

2.53am BST

Details of some passengers are emerging. As I wrote before, we will wait for official confirmation before naming any individuals, but my colleague Melissa Davey writes about a couple of people here.

“Should it disappear, this is what it looks like,” a man wrote on his Facebook wall along with a photo of the MH17 Malaysian Airlines plane he was about to board with his girlfriend in Amsterdam.

It was supposed to be a joke. But messages flooded in hours later, as people realised their young friend and his girlfriend from the Netherlands were passengers on the plane shot down over eastern Ukraine.